How Can You Mend a Broken Nose?

Let’s face it: The nose can be a magnet for mishaps. Like toes finding table legs and funny bones catching edges, the nose protrudes far enough to invite unplanned contact with solid objects. And while it’s a pretty sturdy piece of human hardware, there’s only so much impact a nose will abide from, say, swinging doors, tree limbs or the aforementioned flying elbow.

Unless you’re a stunt performer or martial arts professional, chances are you’ll want to have that important olfactory instrument looked at. Rhinoplasty, and an expert in those forms of nasal cosmetic surgery, can help. One of Dr. Naderi’s specialties is corrective, reconstructive work to set a nose right. Dr. Naderi can even improve on the look a person had before that unlucky break.

How Does It Work?

It may come as a bit of a jolt to learn that one solution to a broken nose is to break it again. Don’t panic: “Osteotomy,” the medical term for surgically fracturing or re-fracturing bones, is a normal, accepted and essential part of rhinoplasty.

Osteotomies in rhinoplasty are done for various reasons, from straightening of a nose to closing a gap following removal of a nasal hump. In its most basic form, the simple closed nasal reduction, a surgeon pushes the fractured nose back into place. This is the kind of procedure that might happen in an emergency room after an accident. Depending on the urgency and the circumstances, it may or may not be performed by a plastic surgeon using anesthesia.

In a specialized surgical practice, osteotomies happen more discretely (and yes, with anesthesia). The surgeon may use a small chisel — as small as 2mm to 4mm — to fracture nasal bones from inside the nostrils. Some surgeons prefer to approach nasal bones from outside and will create a small opening in the cheek to do so.

In some cases, a nose undergoing repair will need additional material to buttress it and restore its shape. Cartilage grafting to the bridge of the nose is one option — one that’s often employed for revision rhinoplasty of noses that were previously operated on but are still not quite right. Here, we’re getting into more advanced rhinoplasty techniques that most plastic surgeons do not feel comfortable performing, and where a rhinoplasty specialist focused on aesthetic nasal surgery is a patient’s best choice.

Is It Covered?

Most of the time insurers will pay for that simple closed nasal reduction performed right after a nasal fracture, but may not pay for a complete rhinoplasty later on.

The process involves coming in for a consultation and an examination by Dr. Naderi. The doctor issues a “pre-determination letter” to the insurance company stating his findings and a surgical plan of action. The insurance company decides from there. This can be a time-consuming and frustrating part of the process but the staff here is well trained to guide a patient through it to an outcome that allows everyone to focus on the goal: a great nose.

A skilled and experienced facial plastic surgeon chooses from a variety of techniques to ensure that the result fits the face perfectly and remains harmonious with a person’s features and appearance over time. It is this mixture of art and science, developed over years of successful practice that Dr. Naderi brings to the work of creating beautiful and natural-looking noses.

You can visit our online photo gallery to see examples of Dr. Naderi’s work. To learn more about injectable fillers, rhinoplasty and other cosmetic and plastic surgery procedures, please contact the Naderi Center at (703) 481-0002 in Virginia or (301) 222-2020 in Maryland for a consultation today.